Lifeboat



Nov. 24, 1931. w. J. KRoLMAN 1,833,326

LIFEBOAT Filed Sept. 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 24, 1931. w "J, KROLMAN v 1,833,326

LIFEBOAT Filed Sept. 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lf vr" if: Q Si NQY 24, L1931 y w. J. KROLMAN LIFEBQAT Filed sep't. 27. 1929 4 sheetgsheet 5 Nov. 24, 1931. w. J. KRoLMAN LIFEBOAT Filed Sept. 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNTED STATES WALTER J`. KROLMAN, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK LIFEBOAT Application led September 27, 1929. Serial No. 395,485.

This invention relatesV to improvements in life boats. Y

Oneof the objects ofthisinvention is to provide a stabilizing fender element which may be applied to life boats generally l in which the metallic shell is curved or arched and to provide for such boats increased protection against impact ofthe same in the event of collision thereof with the side of the vessel.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a life boat of the folding type comprising a' rigid metallic body or shell portion having sidesof normal curvature and a foldable superstructure or bulwarks, combined with stabilizingfender elements'having such configuration or shape as to provide increased protection to the shell against impact incase of collision with the vessel.

Another object of, my invention is'to enable `the use in combination with boats having the shellplating at opposite sides curved longitudinally and vertically so as to develop the full strength of the metallic body of stabilizing fender elements which will notonly provide still further increased strength and increased buoyancy but will provide a firm and secure mounting or support for the fender so as to avoid all danger of shifting or slipping of the fender in' relation to the shell and will also provide such an increased impact area or surface in the event of collision with the side of the .vessel that greatly in-4 creased protection to the shell of kthe boat is afforded.

Another object of myinvention is to produce life boat having'` a metallic shell or body provided with sides rounded vertically :and longitudinally in a normally curved configuration to develop the full strength of said shell in combinationwith stabilizing fender elements having such conformation and being so mounted on such sides as to provide elongated flat impact surfaces preferably extending throughout the amidship section on op posite sides of the shell, thus providing increased strength and increased protection for the shell in that such increased surface or area of the stabilizing fender element will, in the event of a bumping or collision of the boat against Vthe vessel during launching or hoisting, contact `with the side of the vessel and affordv greatly increased protection thereto over fenders which are eXteriorly rounded i andthus present relatively small or short con- V'55 tact areain Vthe event of collision.

Still `another Yobject ofmy invention is to provide foldable -bulwarls for a boat ofthe type specified whichV will vbe simple,` easy to manipulate and durable and which will necessitatemanual manipulation soA as to avoid reliance on automatic locking and thus to insure a positive locking of the foldable bulwarks in vertical position. Y 1

`l/Vith these and other'robjectsv in view, the 65v invention comprises the combination of members'and arrangement ofparts so combined asV to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performanceof the functions and the Y arccomplishmentof the'results herein con- 70 templated and comprises in oneofits adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,-in which Fig. lis aplan viewfof a boat embodying my invention; f 1 Fig. 2 is a view, partlyin side elevation and partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in theV direction of the arrow; Y Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow; 80 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of a foldable bulwark and thelockingbrace therefor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a standard lifeboat to which my'` improved fender is applied; Y

Fig. 6 is a view;V partly in side elevation 185 and partly in section, on the line 6-6 of Fig.

,5, looking in the direction of the arrow; `and Fig. ,7- is a cross-sectionron the line 7e-Tof F 5,- loolring inthe direction'of the arrow.

Referring now to these drawings, Figs. l v to 41 illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a life boat ofthe foldable bulwark type and Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive show my stabilizing .fender elements applied'to a 'standard life` boat.Y

ln the preferred embodiment of `my invention shownin Figs.1 to 4, 1 indicates a life boat of the foldable-bulwark type comprising a metallicV shell 2 preferably provided fore and aft with rounded ends 2" and Wand 100 a flatbottom 3. In accordance with my invention, the sides 4 of this type of boat are,

Y at the amidship section of the boat, normally rounded, curved or arched to develop the full strength of the sides of the shell, the longitudinal curve of the sides being indicated by the dotted lines 2c in Fig. 1 and the vertical curve being shown at 2d in Fig. 3, and these sides merge with the fiat bottom 3 by means of curvilinear corners 5. l, Y Y

By my invention, though the-rounded or arched sides 4 of the shell at the amidship section of the boat are in a normal or conventional curve or arch,Vv these -curved or arched sides are not, asin the conventional boat, employed as the exterior surfaceV of the boat to round out the contour and symmetry thereof but are so rounded and arched, first,

to develop the full strengthof'the shell and, secondly, to provide an arched;V interior mounting for my stabilizing fender elements 16 which are mounted on such sides andare of such configuration as to provide on each side of the amidship section of the completed boat an elongated fiat surface 16a which'V `preferably extends the major portion of the length of the fender and covers substantially Y the entire amidship section of the boat. Y I

thus provide an impact surface on the fender of greatly increased area which, in case the boatY should collide with the yside of the vessel during the launching or hoisting operations, would come into contact with the-side of the vessel and being ofsuch increased area. will lafford increased resistance, first, to the crushing of the'materialof the fender and, sec- This 'elongated' flatl surface preferably'merges at ondly, to the crushing of the shell.

opposite ends lwith inwardly and upwardly inclined fore and aft fender sections `which pointed end sections adjacent to In said preferred embodiment, each stabilizing'fender element 16 is composed of a'highly buoyant material such as balsa wood and .has an interior countersunk surface 16 having ja Vconfiguration conforming with the curvature of the sideV of the boat to which it isattached so that whenthe countersunk surface of the fender. is mounted'on theV exterior- 4ly-curved side, la firm and non-shifting support and mounting will be provided. As illustrated, these fenders 16 are fastened to 55 the sides of the shell by a. series of straps V17 bybolts`19` and straps 19 tothe endsVQO of hinged at 18 to the shell plating and fastened the thwarts 10. The boat, as illustrated, is

' also provided with the conventional manhole 21 to permit examination and repair of the air compartments and has conventional valved,

' bailin'g tubes or scuppers 22.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown, the shell is divided into a series of water-tight compartments 6 formed by a series of'bulk-heads 7, the amidship compartments being reduced in height to provide a water-tight deck 8 which is supported at the upper ends of the amidship bulk-heads and is preferably disposed, as shown, about mldway of the depth of the shell between the bottom 3 and the gunwale or upper edges 2 of the shell, thus providing a deck space or loading compartment 8 in the shell above said deck 8. The shell 2 is, at its gunwale or upper edges, provided, as shown, with longitudinal seats or benches 9 and cross-seats or thwarts 10. The said upper edge or gunwale of the shell at 2 is reinforced in any suitable manner and, as illustrated, is provided with metallic reinforcing angle-irons 2eV which are riveted to the top of the shell plating. The benches 9 and thwarts 10 are supported on the edges 2 rand also tend to reinforce the same. y Y

Mounted on the shell in any suitable manner and, as shown, hinged to the thwartsV 10, I provide foldable side and end bulwarks 13 which fold inwardly and are capable of being swunginto vertical position and manually locked in such position by a lseries of brace members 14 pivoted at their lower ends at 14 and each having contiguous toits outer free end 14a a keying slot and notch 14b which is y pin of the bracket and the slightvforcing movement `of the bulwarks and brace will serve to lock the brace securely to the bracket and thus to lock the bulwarks in raised position. Manual operation of the brace members, however, is necessary and is desirable to procure a positive latching or locking of the foldable bulwarks inl raised position as any device which relies on an automatic locking by a mere raising of the bulwarks will be less positive than Va means which requires an engaging movement of the brace member which is separate and distinct from the movement of the bulwarks-themselves. i

lAs shownthe bulwarks 13 are reinforced by cleats 13', 13a. These-cleats 13,13" are arranged not only to reinforce thebulwarks but to'furnish a firmer support for such bulwarks on the benches and thwarts when said bulwarks are folded 'and thus to provide a flat supporting; surface for a similar boat above the same. Y

Referring now to Figs. 5, to 7 inclusive, 30

indicates the shell of a life boat of standard 31 which has, at the amidship Section of the boat, the conventional rectilinear portions 3l. In the standard life boat, the rectilinear section has a molding which is extended outwardly to cover the bulged portion so that this overhanging gunwale molding will receive and resist any blow due to collision of the life boat with the side of the vessel during launching thereof.

In accordance with my present invention, I apply below the rectilinear gunwale portion 8l stabilizing fender elements 32 which are attached to the shell plating in a manner substantially similar to the construction hereinabove described in relation to Figs. 1 to 4. These fenders are substantially similar in construction to the fender stabilizing elements 16 hereinabove described in relation to Figs. l to 4 and in particular have the curved interior surfaces 32a conforming in configuration to the shape of the shell plating and also having Hat outer surfaces 32 extending substantially throughout the amidship section of the boat and adapted, in the event of a collision during the hoisting and lowering of the boat, to contact with the side of the vessel and to receive and resist any blow or impact resulting therefrom. In view of the application of fenders of this type, the usual overhanging gunwale molding may be omitted in this type of boat as the stabilizing fender elements, when applied to a boat of this type, will protect the sheet metal shell in a much more eiicient manner than the aforesaid overhanging gunwale molding.

In other respects, the boat shown in Figs. 5 to 7 is of the conventional standard construction and need not be further described.

Having described my invention, I claim l. A life boat embodying, in combination, a metallic shell having its opposite side walls normally curved at the amidship section of the boat, stabilizing fender elements composed of highly buoyant material and having inner surfaces substantially conforming with the curvatures of said side walls and secured thereon, said elements being provided with outer rectilinear flat impact surfaces extending in substantially the same vertical plane over a substantial area along the amidship section of the boat, and having walls varying in thickness to compensate for the space between said rectilinear impact surfaces and the curved sides of the boat.

2. A life boat embodying, in combination, a metallic shell having its opposite side walls normally curved at the amidship section of the boat, stabilizing fender elements composed of highly buoyant material and having inner surfaces substantially conforming with the curvatures of said side walls and secured thereon, said elements being provided with outer rectilinear fiat impact surfaces extending in substantially the same vertical plane normally curved at the amidship section of l the boat, stabilizing fender elements composed of highly buoyant material and having inner surfaces substantially conforming with the curvatures of said side walls and secured thereon, said elements being provided with outer rectilinear flat impact surfaces extending the major portion of the length of the fender and a major portion of the length of the boat, said fender having terminal surface portions inclining` from said fiat surface in rectilinear lines inwardly and upwardly to the gunwale of the shell at the forward .and rear ends thereof. v

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to the foregoing specification.

W' ALTER J. KROLMAN. 

